


Reflections

by Icypearls



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, reflections
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 08:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10760823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icypearls/pseuds/Icypearls
Summary: Pearl thinks about her relationship with Amethyst





	Reflections

Amethyst always introduced Pearl to human things. First had been food. Amethyst loved food and eating. So nearly five hundred years after finding Amethyst, nearing her thirteen hundredth emergence anniversary, Amethyst had latched onto the idea of everyone celebrating the way she had observed some humans doing, and they had acquired the means of making a simple celebratory meal. Amethyst explained exactly how eating worked to Pearl, and she had. The food had tasted nice enough, but that had been the last time Pearl ate anything.

Humans were always inventing things. Sometimes they were things gems had made and moved beyond. Sometimes they were new and innovative and Pearl studied them. Sometimes they were tandem bicycles. This time, it was fashion. Amethyst loved going beyond the fence and talking to the humans nearby. She had made a friend who had lent her magazines, and Pearl found herself enjoying some of the looks. When she reformed from her most recent poofing, Amethyst had been delighted.

Sometimes, Pearl would sneak around the city with Amethyst. They would cause rebellious trouble here and there. Nothing that would cause real harm – they were there to protect these humans after all – but just enough to cause a little mayhem.

They would go back to the temple and lay on the sand. Pearl would point out different star systems and tell Amethyst about them all. She would describe what it was like to fly through space, to visit other worlds. Pearl and Amethyst were nearly inseparable in the times Pearl wasn’t with Rose.

Until Rose was gone for good.

It had been everything Pearl could do to not run away once the matter was over and Steven was here. She did lock herself in her room for three days. On the third day, Amethyst came to find her. She looked up, her eyes red, her hair completely disheveled, and saw Amethyst. The smaller gem looked worried, but that barely registered for Pearl. Amethyst had changed her hair because of Greg. She had changed her clothing because of Greg. Amethyst had changed because of _Greg_ and Greg had taken Rose from her and Pearl

Pearl yelled. She screamed at Amethyst, told her to leave, before totally collapsing back into the pool of water she had been standing on.

The sound of the door opening and shutting was the only response she received.

Two days later, Pearl emerged. Everything seemed so different. She saw Greg’s van, saw Greg and Amethyst and Steven sitting in the shade it provided. She walked over, looking down on the three of them. Greg was talking about how healthy Steven was, about how much he weighed and facts that Pearl found useless. She made a remark about being glad that Amethyst was having so much fun with Greg, and retreated again to her room.

She did fall in love with Steven. Even before they had kidnapped him, she had grown to like him, despite the drool and other dirty parts. She came out of her room more and more. They began building the house and she had something to focus on. The details had to be perfect. Everything had to be perfect. Orderly. Neat. Everything had to be where it belonged.

She watched as Amethyst laughed with Greg, her eyes narrowed at them. She couldn’t help but feel betrayed. First Greg had taken Rose, and now he was taking Amethyst. She already looked up to him, and Pearl couldn’t understand why. Why any of this had to happen. Why there seemed to be a wall between her and Amethyst where there hadn’t been before. Why Garnet was so different. Why everything had changed.

It had been years since Opal had been formed, and now Steven was asking to see a fusion. Pearl knew Amethyst didn’t want to fuse. Amethyst had made herself clear a long time ago. Now, though, they didn’t have a choice. It was fuse or lose Steven, and Pearl would not lose someone else that she loved.

She grabbed Amethyst’s hand, the dance forgotten, and pulled her close, and then…she was Opal.

Of course the instant she realized she didn’t have the beetle Opal fell apart. They used to be able to stay fused for days, and now the smallest things tore them apart.

Then she heard about Amethyst’s many poofings by the slinker.

Then she searched within herself.

Then she realized that she had never lost her best friend.

Finding Amethyst in that cave, discovering how hurt Amethyst felt, how much she thought Pearl hated her, had been the worst part. She had never wanted to let Amethyst go. Seeing her gem cracked had nearly broken Pearl. She had to get better, at least for Amethyst.

She would show Amethyst that they could be what they once were. She would do something. She would wear the jeans, and even drink something. She could do this for her.

It was like old times. Maybe Pearl was still wound tight, much tighter than she remembered being before Greg, but she was learning to let go again. To do things just because. To rabble rouse.

Start with a nerd, Amethyst had said. Pearl couldn’t stop smiling on the way home. Amethyst was still gushing, even after a twenty mile walk, and she smiled. Amethyst had called her cool. They were getting back to how they had been. Everything was falling back into place.

She looked in the rearview mirror at a sleeping Steven. Maybe things would never be the same, but things could be more like what she wanted. Things could be good. She grinned at Amethyst as she slowed for the redlight, waiting for it to turn green this time. With her best friend by her side, she was sure everything would be better.

**Author's Note:**

> Starting out, it was intended to be a ship fic but it isn't, and that's okay bc friendships are important and I didn't lable it as a ship fic. I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
